Duality
by hummerhouse
Summary: Master Splinter finds friendship with someone who understands him. One shot.


Duality

It was her aura that drew his attention.

Sheer happenstance brought Master Splinter to the park in the late afternoon on that cold, blustery day. Michelangelo, for some unfathomable reason, had taken his cat Klunk to the surface. Klunk, normally quite mindful of Michelangelo's instructions, was nevertheless frightened by a loose dog and had bolted from his turtle father's arms.

It was fortunate for all concerned that Leonardo happened to be with the orange banded turtle when this had occurred and had quickly stopped Michelangelo from leaping into the open to chase his cat. Leonardo had gotten his extremely upset younger brother home and had taken over the explanation of what had happened while Michelangelo frantically dressed in his human clothes.

Seeing Michelangelo's agitation, Master Splinter had decided to accompany the two boys back to the park to search for Klunk. Master Splinter had donned his 'street' clothes, and together with his sons, had traversed the tunnels to where Klunk had last been sighted.

The sky was darkly cloudy; hinting at rain. All three mutants were heavily disguised, but Master Splinter admonished both of his sons to remain in the shadows as much as possible while they searched. He also assigned his eldest son the task of maintaining a close eye on the youngest, as Michelangelo had a worrisome penchant for getting into mischief.

Luck was with them for once. It did not take long for his children to spot the errant cat lodged defiantly in the upper limbs of a tree. While waiting for Michelangelo to climb into the tree and retrieve his pet, Master Splinter turned his attention to a group of people who had braved the weather to practice T'ai chi ch'uan.

As a practitioner of this martial art form, Master Splinter watched with interest the slow defined movements of the much varied group. It was while doing so that he found his eye drawn to a mature Japanese woman.

Physically she was quite small, possibly not even five feet in height, and slender without the appearance of frailty. She was intensely concentrated as she performed each movement with supple fluidity, part of a coordinated ballet of fellow enthusiasts.

In fact, surrounded as she was by so many other practitioners, Master Splinter might have overlooked her completely. It was the vibrant hues of her aura that caught and held his attention; a balanced mixture of light yellow and emerald green that was as unique as any he'd ever seen.

Leonardo called to him twice before Master Splinter heard him. Turning away from the woman was difficult and something in his demeanor telegraphed itself to his sons. He found that Michelangelo, now holding a disgruntled cat, was staring at him. His eldest son even asked if he felt all right.

His face expressionless, Master Splinter said, "I am fine my son. I was merely observing the weather and wondering at the number of humans who are willing to brave it in order to exercise. Let us go home to the relative warmth of the lair."

Master Splinter could not have said what it was about this particular woman that held his attention through the remainder of the evening, or why he thought of her as he pushed his children through their morning practice session the next day.

Perhaps it did have something to do with the colors that surrounded her. The light yellow told of someone with an emerging psychic and spiritual awareness and the green spoke of growth and balance.

It was quite possibly that combination that drew the mutated rat out of the sewers again the following day. Since it was not unheard of for their Father to traverse the sewer tunnels on lone walks, the Turtles thought nothing of their sensei's exit.

Leonardo did wonder for just a moment when he saw that his Father was dressed in his human disguise, but quickly rationalized that Master Splinter wore the clothes for added warmth.

Master Splinter walked directly to the exit that would place him in the park and climbed to the surface unseen. Remaining in the shadows of a large grouping of bushes, he saw right away that there was no one performing any type of exercise.

Shaking his head at his own mysterious actions, Master Splinter was about to return to the sewers when he spotted the woman seated on a park bench. She was tossing bread crumbs to the birds and squirrels, a tranquil expression on her face.

Moving closer, Master Splinter noticed more details about the woman. Her gray hair was unaltered by coloring and was nicely coiffed, as though she cared about grooming but was not overly concerned about showing her age.

Master Splinter remained hidden from the woman for the next hour as he merely observed her. She greeted passersby by name, indicating that she was a regular fixture in this part of the park. When she had finished tossing out her bread crumbs, she rose from the bench and tidily disposed of the sack.

Afterwards she chose a path and began to walk, nodding to people she came across and smiling at them. Her smile was quite beautiful and not at all awkward, making Master Splinter think that she retained all of her own teeth.

He admired her poise and her graciousness. He was impressed by her carriage; she walked with her shoulders back and her spine straight. When an hour had passed, the woman directed her steps towards the park exit and Master Splinter returned to the sewers and the lair.

The following day Master Splinter informed his sons that he would be adding a late afternoon constitutional to his daily routine. Although they expressed concern at his going out alone, he insisted that he would remain unseen and that he was quite capable of taking care of himself.

After promising to carry his shell cell at all times, he further told his sons that any attempts to follow him would be dealt with harshly. He did not need to remind them that as skilled as they were at shadowing someone, he was still the Master and would sense their presence.

Thereafter it became his habit to return to the park at the same time each day to watch the woman who had so captivated him.

One afternoon two weeks later, as Master Splinter stood in the dark shade of an evergreen, the woman lifted her head from her observance of pigeons and smiled.

"I was wondering if you would ever speak to me," she said aloud, although no one else was near. "I've felt your presence for quite some time; were you planning to remain hidden forever?"

Master Splinter realized she was talking to him. He should have known that someone with the type of aura she displayed would sense his nearness.

"My apologies," he said. "You have a routine and I did not wish to interfere with that."

"I certainly hope that I am not so rigid as to have a routine that can't be broken by the addition of a new friend," she told him.

"You are most gracious," Master Splinter said.

"What name may I call you by?" she asked, smiling as a squirrel leaped onto the bench next to her and stole a piece of bread from her fingers.

"I am known as Splinter," he answered.

"An unusual name for an unusual person," she said in Japanese.

Master Splinter smiled. It was nice to hear his native tongue.

"Might I know yours as well?" he asked, made bold by her lack of shyness.

"I am very informal," she said. "You may call me Nanako."

"Have you family, Nanako?" Master Splinter asked, curious now that they were speaking as to why she always came to the park alone.

She nodded and smiled at his shadowed form. "I have four children; two boys and two girls. My husband died three years ago and my children have their own lives and families now. They are quite attentive to me and I enjoy my grandchildren very much. And you?"

Master Splinter smiled as well, though she could not see it. "I also have four children, all boys. They all reside with me. They are still too young to have families." His voice was slightly wistful; he could not add that this would never occur for his sons.

Nanako must have heard the emotion in his voice as she said, "It will happen for them soon enough. Enjoy their youth; children grow so fast."

"That is true," he acknowledged.

Scooting to the end of the bench, Nanako waved towards the space next to her and said, "Please come sit with me. You would be more comfortable."

Master Splinter took a breath and then told her, "I do not wish to appear rude, but I have a preference for the shadows. Age has not improved my appearance."

To his delight, she did not press him on the matter, taking his words at face value. In this way, Nanako fortified Master Splinter's belief that she was an unusual person.

They talked for an hour and then she rose from the bench. She asked if he would come talk to her again, and Master Splinter found himself promising to meet her the very next day.

And so it went for weeks. Master Splinter even began to bring a bag of crumbs so that he could feed the pigeons and squirrels alongside Nanako. They talked of many things and found many common interests. She never asked him to come out of the shadows, seemingly content with his preferences.

Master Splinter enjoyed Nanako's gentle tranquility. He discovered that she lived in a nearby senior housing condominium. Her children, all quite successful by human standards, had purchased a condo for her in the upscale building. She told Master Splinter she enjoyed the amenities but mostly she enjoyed the park.

At some point he found himself telling her a little of the strange circumstances of his life; about how his Master had come to America and then been killed. He did not tell her of his mutation, but he did share with her how he had adopted four orphan boys. Master Splinter explained that life had dealt him a strange hand and that darkness offered him comfort.

Nanako said, "Life gives us exactly what it thinks we can handle and usually no more."

Master Splinter agreed. His respect and admiration grew; in his experience it was a rare human who could accept the unusual and not be overwhelmed with curiosity.

A year passed and though it was not possible for them to see each other every day, they visited as often as they could. Master Splinter came to believe that he had met the mirror of his soul and he was very happy.

He knew that his children would learn of Nanako someday; already he began to suspect that Leonardo had an inkling of where his Father spent his time when away from the lair. Master Splinter did not know if a day would come when he would allow them to interact with her. It really didn't seem necessary.

Nanako herself seemed content with their arrangement. She told Master Splinter that the highlight of her day was the times she got to spend with him. They both encountered difficulties in their personal lives from time to time and they both gained strength from the other's support and advice.

One fine spring evening, Master Splinter stood in the shadows and watched Nanako perform her T'ai Chi exercise. Her aura outshone everyone around her as it always did and he felt a sudden flow of warm pride.

It was good to have a friend.


End file.
